Phoenix Rising
by Asameshi-Mae
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke left Sakura behind and it broke her.  But just as the phoenix rises from the ashes of a fire,so will she. This is her story.  The story of MakurayamiTenshi, the angel of total darkness. pairing undecided.
1. Prologue

Sakura happily hurried down the familiar walkway towards the red bridge where her team, Team Seven, had always met since they were placed on a team three years ago. Considering it had been two years since the Sasuke Retrieval misson had been a success and today marked the day that Sasuke could finally leave the village again.

Sakura smiled when she thought of her long time crush. Sasuke had been kept under a careful watch for the first year, never being out of sight from the Anbu and Konoha's Jounin's for very long. The second year he was reinstated as a Konoha Genin and made to do the worst missions, meaning the babysitting jobs, that cat and dog retrieval missions, and the clean up missions. Basically all the ones no one else wanted to do. Today was the exact day that that prohibation ended and Naruto and Sasuke had asked her to come to the bridge.

"Hey guys!" Sakura called as he two teammates came into view. She used some chakra to speed up and was there in a second. She blinked when she saw two full backpacks on the guy's back. "Does the team have a mission or something?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke just gave her a look while Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "You only do that when you kept something from me. Naruto….." she cracked her knuckles.

Naruto held up his hands. "Sorry Sakura, Kakashi-sensei was supposed to tell you before you came today. We are going on a training journy."

Sakura blinked as hurt crept up her throat. "What?" she choked out.

Sasuke frowned at her. "You are too weak to come. You were lucky to even make Chuunin. You will not pass that." he harshly said.

Naruto sighed. "I'm sorry Sakura but he's right. You can't come along." Naruto walked towards the end of the bridge. "Goodbye, Sakura." Naruto said before both of them took off in a flash of chakra.

Sakura stood there for a few minutes, her mind having almost stopped. Her eyes quickly turned to anger and she knew exactly who to direct it too.

* * *

Kakashi was sitting with the other Jounin sensei's when all four of them felt a very strong hate coming in their direction. He quickly moved away from his spot in front of the door and just in time. The door flew off its hinges and across the room, revealing a fuming girl. "Sakura?" Kakashi blinked.

Sakura glared at the older Jounin. "You." she hissed out. "You knew they were leaving!" her hand flew forward and Kakashi blocked it. She channeled more chakra into her hand and punched again, this time making Kakashi fly backwards.

Kurenai grabbed the younger girl's shoulders and calmly pulled her hand in. "What's wrong, Sakura?" she calmly asked.

Sakura turned around, some of her tears falling. "Sasuke and Naruto left to train. Both of them called me weak and HE knew that they were leaving!" She glared at her sensei.

Kurenai hugged the girl a bit. Her gaze fell on Kakashi and it turned to a glare. She led Sakura out of the room.

Gai turned to his rival. "How could you hurt that beautiful example of youth by not telling her?!" he yelled before leaving.

Kakashi sighed and looked over at Asuma. "Just go." he muttered as Asuma followed Kurenai.

* * *

Kurenai had taken Sakura to Tsunade before going back to where Kakashi was still sitting, nursing his hand. "What the heck are you doing, not telling one of your team about something like that!? And why wouldn't Sakura be allowed along! She is just as strong as them!" Kurenai yelled.

"No she isn't. Sakura doesn't have enough chakra or enough control." Kakashi protested before Kurenai hit him over the head.

"You know nothing about her! Didn't you know that Tsunade was training her?! Sakura is stronger now!" Kurenai hit him again before storming out.

Kakashi put his head in his hands. "What have I done?" he thought out loud.

* * *

Tsunade was livid, to say the least. It took Sakura, Shizune, Kotetsu, and Izumo to convince her not to go and kill Kakashi there and then.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!" Tsunade shouted. She stormed around the small office angrily. "I should go and demand that they come back and both of them will be put on prohibitation." she ranted, getting ready to go.

"No, Tsunade-sama." Sakura quietly said.

Tsunade turned to look at her student and saw that her eyes had become hard and cold. "Sakura-chan?"

"They will get strong their way." Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm going to prove them wrong, Shisou."

"How, Sakura?"

Sakura turned around, her eyes hard and cold. "By surpassing them. From today on, the weak Sakura will be no more."


	2. New Teams and Old News

Hey all. Hope you enjoyed the prologue and thanks for reading so far. So far, this story has a undecided pairing and I'm going to hold a vote. Here's the list. Oh, and thank you **Could-Careless** for the idea to hold a vote and for already putting in some votes.

Lee:

Neji: 1

Kiba: 1

Gaara: 1

Kakashi:

Itachi:

OC:

I would add Sasuke and Naruto but I'm sort of planning something for them, sort of. I hope ya'll vote and hope you enjoy the next chapter of Phoenix Rising!

* * *

The people calmly milled around the room as a young child, a child of a ruler, sat uncomfortably on the throne in the front. Every time the boy tried to shift around or move off the chair, the older nurse held him in place with a frown that she hid whenever someone looked at them or approached the throne.

"Kyouhei-sama, please sit still. It is not respectful to your guests if you act as a child!" the elderly nurse scolded quietly.

"Nurse-san, that's enough. Kyouhei-kun, are you tired?" Kyouhei's older sister, Hikari, said as she walked up. She took her little brother's hand and led him away from the crowd, missing a few looks from the servants. Hikari quickly changed Kyouhei out of his formal robes and into a sleeping kimono. "Otouto, get some sleep alright?" Hikari smiled. She went to leave but a hand grabbed her kimono. Her eyes met her little brother's pleading eyes. "Would you like a story, perhaps?" she jokingly said.

Kyouhei nodded. "Tell me about the Bunbuku Chagama!" he happily said, bouncing on his large western style bed.

Hikari smiled. "Well, once there was an old man who was walking down a long road back to his home. On the way, he found a tanuki that was caught in a trap. He helped the tanuki out before heading home. The tanuki followed the man and changed himself into a teapot, telling the man to sell himself for money. The old man did and sold the tanuki-teapot to a monk.

The monk decided to make tea one night and put the poor tanuki over the fire to heat the water. The tanuki changed back halfway and went back to the old man's house. The tanuki had another idea, telling the man to make him into an attraction. He became the……"

"The teapot walking the tightrope! He made the man lots a money and made him rich, right?" Kyouhei happily said, a tired smile on his face.

Hikari ruffled his hair. "Right bud. Now, get some sleep, alright?"

Kyouhei nodded and Hikari blew out the lamps. Kyouhei quickly fell into a contented sleep.

A shadowy figure silently crept into the young prince's room. A blade slightly shone in the moonlight as the figure swung downward. Suddenly, the figure froze and fell forward slight, another blade coming out the person's back.

Kyouhei heard the person falling a bit and sleepily sat up. He looked up and screamed.

Hikari rushed back into her little brother's room to find an Anbu standing over the dead body of the nurse. "What's going on?" Hikari yelled in worry.

"Nee-chan!" Kyouhei threw himself on his sister, tears falling.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Hikari yelled at the Anbu.

"Hikari, enough." the cool voice of her father said from behind them.

"Dozoki-dono." The Anbu stood.

"I see you are just as good as your reputation, Makurayami-Tenshi-san." Dozoki said. "Children, tonight, an assassination was planned. It was for your life, Kyouhei." he explained.

Kyouhei froze and Hikari gasped.

Makurayami-Tenshi held the body of the nurse and nodded. "Send the money to Konoha. I must finish my job." Makurayami-Tenshi calmly said before disappearing with a small bit of smoke.

Dozoki hugged his son before leading his children away from the room.

* * *

Tenshi came up a few miles away. Tenshi studied the woman before performing a fire jutsu on the body. Tenshi calmly reached up and pulled the woman's blade from her shoulder before disappearing once again.

* * *

"So, what changed this year, Kakashi-san?" Tsunade jokingly spoke. Kakashi didn't find it funny.

Kakashi gave her a mild glare, his visible eye seeming a little dull. "I just want to again. Because of………." Kakashi trailed off, not being able to say it.

Tsunade nodded, knowing what he was talking about. "Kakashi, its been almost five years since it happened. Can't you let the past go yet?" she asked.

"Not until Sakura is found again." Kakashi mumbled as a poof of smoke appeared in front of him and a slightly bloody Anbu uniform appeared in front of him.

Tsunade groaned and gasped at the same time. "What the heck did you do this time?!" Tsunade shouted at the Anbu. "Answer me Tenshi!" she screamed in a bit of shock.

Tenshi blinked behind the mask and laughed a bit. "I have the scroll and the old man apparently can't keep his mouth shut. A lord heard I was there and had me help. His son was going to be killed and I had to kill off the person in charge. Her sword went through my shoulder."

Kakashi finally registered who the heck this was. "YOU'RE THE MAKURAYAMI-TENSHI?!" he yelled in amazement. He never thought that he would get to meet this famous Anbu who had been around for almost five years. "Wow, you are truly an amazing ninja, sir." Kakashi respectfully said.

Tsunade sighed. "Tenshi-san, I wish to speak with you briefly before I get back to Kakashi." Tenshi nodded. "You have completely more missions than anyone and unfortunately, it is not healthy. So, as of now, you are on Jounin Sensei duty." Tsunade smirked, hoping to get a reaction. She got nothing. "Oh, and pull off that bloody uniform parts."

Tenshi nodded slightly and pulled off the top part of her armor. The tight long sleeve shirt clung to Tenshi's frame, revealing that Tenshi was actually a woman.

Kakashi was floored. "You're a woman?!" he said in amazement.

Tenshi nodded before turning back to Tsunade. She didn't even blink behind the mask. "I am guessing Hatake-san is here to have a team as well?" she asked.

Tsunade nodded. "So far, teams 5, 9, and 10 have sensei's. Either of you can choose 7 or 11." she said, guessing which one Kakashi would choose.

"Eleven." Both Tenshi and Kakashi said in tandem. Both blinked, Tenshi from behind the mask, and looked at each other.

Tsunade sighed. "Tenshi, seven, Kakashi, eleven." She said. Kakashi nodded and bowed slightly before poofing away. "I'm sorry Tenshi, but it isn't fair to make him take that number." Tsunade smiled a bit. "Can I just call you your real name? Tenshi is annoying."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smirked. "Shut your cheeky mouth, cherry blossom. Sakura, you can't keep up like this." Tsunade said to her old student. "How long has it been since you took that yin yang mask of your's off of your face? When did anyone see those green eyes again?" Tsunade sadly asked.

Sakura sighed from behind the mask. "Tsunade-sama, I went 'missing' five years ago, remember? I'm twenty one now and you aren't my mother!" Sakura let some emotion show a bit before calming down immediately.

Tsunade sighed again. "Yes. That was the hardest thing to say to your friends. Sakura, just be at Iruka's classroom and three o clock sharp. Don't pull a Kakashi." Tsunade warned.

Sakura nodded and disappeared.

Tsunade sighed and reached for her Sake. She couldn't deal with this.

* * *

Sakura walked into her cold and silent house. Actually, it couldn't be really called a house. Sakura only came there to bath and change most of the time but now she would be living there. Sakura sighed as her hand met the yin yang mask. It had become her identity over the six years since she had been broken. It was a part of her and Sakura hadn't taken it in at least two months, even when bathing.

Sakura thought back to the conversation that had happened after Naruto and Sasuke left.

_Tsunade looked at her student. "And just how do you plan on surpassing them?" She asked._

_Sakura gave Tsunade a confident look. "I'm going to make it into Anbu as soon as I can." Sakura said._

_Tsunade nodded. "I may be able to arrange the tests, if you wish. And someone will have to recommend you." she told her._

_Sakura nodded. She was more than ready._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Congratulations Sakura! Was what the banner hanging in Tsunade's office said. The door opened and Sakura blinked at Shizune and Tsunade, who were smilingly widely._

_"Thank you Hokage-sama." Sakura said in a cool voice. The trials had changed her._

_Tsunade gave her a brief hug. "Congrats Sakura. You made Anbu in less than a year, almost breaking the record."_

_Sakura nodded and sighed in her head. She had to do it. "Tsunade-sama, I want to disappear. Send me on a mission and say that it went wrong, that I was never found." Sakura said it quickly, so she could get it over with._

_"But why?" Shizune said._

_"It still hurts. I have connections and that is not a good thing." Sakura simply explained._

_Shizune went to protest but Tsunade held up her hand. "You are very serious about this, aren't you?" Tsunade asked, her voice grave. Sakura nodded and Tsunade sighed. "Very well, Sakura." Tsunade conceded before Sakura nodded and disappeared almost completely from her life._

Sakura blinked and shook her memories off. They could only be called a nuisance. Sakura laid down on her bed and fell into a light sleep, knowing that she would need sleep for her new 'mission' tomorrow.

* * *

"Team Seven is Kira Kainarasu, Kanaye Ikushuka, and Konan Tori." a slightly older Iruka spoke as he announced the last team. "I hope that I have taught you well and that you will all learn to be great ninjas." He said. The sensei's started to arrive and soon only team seven and team eleven were left. Iruka sighed and looked at the clock. It was almost three o clock.

Just as the clock turned to three, a small poof sounded in the room. A figure stood from the smoke, a woman wearing a Jounin vest, Anbu arm and leg guards, a black and white mask, and a hair covering.

Sakura stared through the mask and turned towards Iruka. "Who are team 7?" she stated.

Iruka blinked. "And you are?" he had thought that it would have been either Lee or Neji who would teach team seven, wait, not Neji, he had team 12 from last year.

"Tenshi. Hokage-sama assigned me team 7 yesterday so it isn't possible you would know, knowing the Hokage." Sakura said.

Iruka nodded. "Team 7, this is your sensei. Go with her."

Tenshi turned to whoever team 7 was. "The roof in five minutes." she said before leaving in a poof.

Iruka sat back down before sitting up straight, his eyes wide. "THAT WAS THE MAKURAYAMI TENSHI!!!" he shouted, startling the remain three students.

* * *

Sakura was impressed. The three students had made it up to the roof in three minutes flat. "Tell me your name, likes, dislikes, and dreams." she quickly said, not giving them a chance to say anything.

The girl of the team spoke up. "W-why should w-we?" she stuttered out, trying to sound brave.

Sakura sighed. "I am Makurayami-Tenshi, call me Tenshi-sensei, I have no interests, likes, or dislikes. My dream was to surpass someone. You now." she pointed to the redheaded girl.

"I a-am Kira Kainarasu, my and like are I-n m-my su-summons and Kaen-chan, I di-dislike anyone w-who thinks that su-summons are n-nothing. My d-dream is to ch-change my clans be-beliefs." she stuttered out.

Sakura nodded. Kira was from a clan of summoners and was obviously different from them. She had bright red hair, not as bright as the Kazekage's thought, and blue-green eyes. "Who is Kaen-chan?" she asked, subconsciously hoping that Kira was not what she thought Kira was.

Kira's eyes lit up. She whistles sharply three times and a small red form tackled her head. A small bright red dragon poked its head out of Kira's head and chirped a bit. "This is Kaen, my partner."

Sakura nodded and pointed to the boy next to her.

"I'm Konan Tori. My likes are birds and….." Insert blush and supposed to be subtle glance at Kira. "I dislike people who don't like birds." Insert glare at the other boy. "My dream is to someday have a summoning contract with the phoenix."

Konan was a boy with dark green hair and golden bird like eyes. He was slightly taller than both of his teammates.

Sakura didn't even have to point to the next boy.

"I'm Kanaye Ikushuka and I hate anyone who hurts the plants. I like…" he trailed off and also glanced at Kira. "…and plants. My dream is to breed the strongest herb ever, one that can heal any sickness." Kanaye's eyes got distant and he was obviously thinking of someone when he said that.

Sakura nodded. "Tomorrow, you are to meet at Team 7's training grounds at eight a.m. And I mean the team 7 from before you three. And don't eat at all or else." Sakura turned as she prepared to propel herself off the building.

"Tenshi-sensei!" Konan spoke. "Where is Team Seven's training grounds?" he asked but Sakura was already gone. "How does she expect us to get there when we have no clue where to go?"

"I will ask around town, baka." Kanaye haughtily said as he prepared to walk away.

"What did you just call me?!" Konan shouted. He ran at Kanaye but Kira quickly got in between both of them.

"E-enough!" she stuttered out. "I think that this is a test." she said without stuttering for once.

"And why would you think that?" Kanaye shot out.

Kira blanched. "Be-because Shi-shinobi a-are sup-supposed to lo-look und-underneath t-the und-under-underneath." she stuttered out. "M-my old-older cou-cousin to-told m-me th-that."

Kanaye gave her a cold look and was about to say something when Konan hit him in the head. "What was that for teme?" he spat out.

"Don't you even dare to say anything mean to Kira-chan! Anyway, I've heard that before too but what do you think we should do to find out?" Konan quickly went from one thought to another.

"I-I ha-have an idea." Kira said. "We sho-should ask Iruka-sen-sensei." Kira smiled.

Kanaye hn'ed and walked away. But he was actually heading towards Iruka's classroom.

Kira smiled a bit as Konan grabbed her hand to try and get her to catch up with Kanaye.

* * *

Iruka hadn't been expecting team seven to come back to his classroom. Team Eleven had actually only been half an hour late to be picked up. "Why are you guys back here?" he asked.

"Tenshi-sensei told us we had to meet at team seven's old training grounds but we have no clue where that is." Kira explained without stuttering again. This team seemed to quickly be helping her.

"Iruka-san, I could show them they way tomorrow, if you wish." a soft voice said from behind. All three of the children and Iruka jumped at least a foot in the air. Iruka spun around to see Hinata standing behind them. "I used to spy on one of the old team seven so I should know." Hinata smiled.

"That would be awesome!" Konan happily yelled.

Kira bowed and Kaen squeaked. "Th-thank y-you Hyuuga-san."

"Call me Hinata." Hinata smiled before walking away. "Meet here about ten minutes before you have to be at the training grounds." she called over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Hinata-sama!" Konan yelled while Kanaye groaned and pulled him away.

Iruka smiled after them. They were so much like the old team seven but at the same time so different. It was good to see.

* * *

Sakura was laying facedown on her sofa when there was a knocking on the door. Sakura groaned a bit and knew that if was who she thought it was that they would just come in.

The door opened and Hinata walked in. All the Hyuuga's knew who she was because there was no mask that could block the Hyuuga's vision. "Sakura-chan, why do you have a genin team?" were the first words out of her mouth.

"I don't know." Sakura sighed into the couch. "Tsunade-sama said that I had to, I would rather be going on my missions!" Sakura sat up, actually letting some of her emotions show. She knew that she could trust Hinata.

Hinata sat down and sighed. "Then this might not be the time for my news."

Sakura tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Hinata looked Sakura in the eyes. "Sakura-chan, Naruto and Sasuke are coming home soon."


End file.
